title: Slow DNA transport through nanopores in hafnium oxide membranes.
abstract: We present a study of double- and single-stranded DNA transport through nanopores fabricated in ultrathin (2-7 nm thick) freestanding hafnium oxide (HfO2) membranes. The high chemical stability of ultrathin HfO2 enables long-lived experiments with <2 nm diameter pores that last several hours, in which we observe >50 000 DNA translocations with no detectable pore expansion. Mean DNA velocities are slower than velocities through comparable silicon nitride pores, providing evidence that HfO2 nanopores have favorable physicochemical interactions with nucleic acids that can be leveraged to slow down DNA in a nanopore.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physics and Chemistry/Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Larkin
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physics and Chemistry/Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Henley
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Tzahi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cohen-Karni
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States.
authors.forename: Jacob K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Rosenstein
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physics and Chemistry/Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.
authors.forename: Meni
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wanunu
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D006195:Hafnium / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D058608:Nanopores; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene / Q000737:chemistry; D017655:Silicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010087:Oxides; D017655:Silicon Compounds; C545179:hafnium oxide; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D004247:DNA; C032734:silicon nitride; D006195:Hafnium